20/20 virtual vision ain’t cheap.
When it comes to virtual reality, achieving human-eye resolution is arguably the main objective. One would want to see things as they would appear in real life, right? In 2017 Finnish company Varjo said it was working on a headset that delivered exactly that, and despite a few delays in its timescales, it’s now launched its VR-1 device which promises the high resolution of more than 60 pixels per degree — equivalent to human-eye resolution — for the modest price of $6,000.
According to Varjo, the headset’s resolution is 20 times higher than other devices on the market, and it comes with advanced eye-tracking capabilities. The company said it plans to introduce a mixed reality component later this year.
Don’t get too excited, though. This VR Headset will only be sold to businesses in industries such as engineering and construction. Hence its colossal price tag. Speaking to CNBC, Varjo’s CEO Niko Eiden said that while the consumer market hasn’t warmed to VR as anticipated, it’s a different story on the professional side.
As such, Edien says, “We have no plan of lowering the price, and there hasn’t been any indication that we would have to do that.” Nonetheless, the long sought-after technology has arrived, and while it may yet be out of reach for most, it will undoubtedly find its way to the consumer market eventually.
